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Ontario awards $5.4 million to health-tech innovators

April 5, 2017

TORONTO – Ontario has committed to funding 15 innovative health technologies via grants from the new, $20 million Health Technologies Fund (HTF). The grants support the development of software and mobile devices that focus on the delivery of better home and community care.

In 2016-17, $5.4 million will be distributed to 15 projects. These projects will undergo assessment and evaluation over the next 18 to 24 months to facilitate their success for adoption and scalability in Ontario’s innovative healthcare system.

“The Health Technologies Fund is already having an impact in the health system because of the collaborations it has created between health service providers, health technology innovators and patients,” said Bill Charnetski (pictured), chief health Innovation Strategist for Ontario. “We are finding new ways to solve our greatest challenges by harnessing the power of innovation to provide better care while creating jobs in Ontario.”

The projects being funded in the current round are:

1) Intelligent Scheduling to Reduce MRI and CT Wait Times

A patient-friendly scheduling platform that connects patients and doctors with hospitals to improve patient access to appointments for high-demand medical procedures.

Diabetes needs to be closely monitored and that can be a challenge for people living in remote areas of Ontario. iUGO connects patients with their healthcare team in real-time, allowing them to get care in their own homes.

This innovative mobile platform seamlessly connects patients with caregivers. Patients and family members are able to find caregivers as simply as point-click-connect, creating a patient-centred care environment. Bookings, ongoing care, best practice guidelines, training and at-home remote monitoring are managed through the platform.

A tablet-based speech assessment tool that detects and monitors cognitive impairment, reliably identifying Alzheimer’s disease, aphasia and Parkinson’s disease. In residential care, the tool can help determine when to transition to a higher level of care.

5) SMArTVIEW: Monitoring and Self-Management for Patients Following Cardiac and Vascular Surgery

Specifically designed software to help patients who have just undergone serious cardiac and vascular surgery to receive continuous vital sign monitoring in the hospital and at home. The technology aims to prevent serious complications post-surgery, including infections and blood clots, and reduce post-surgical emergency room visits and readmissions to hospital.

This software eliminates the need for patient travel while helping pathologists do their job faster and more accurately. Pathcore’s technology takes glass slides and converts them into digital slides that can then be viewed, shared and analyzed anywhere using computer networks.

A health self-management application to facilitate collaborative development, monitoring, communication and improvement of individualized patient care plans. It will allow patients and providers to develop intuitive care plans that can be followed in the home and assessed by their physician during consultation.

A new model proposed by Cancer Care Ontario is seeing follow-up care move from specialists to family physicians, which is more convenient for patients and less costly for the health system. This software connects patients with family physicians to bring care closer to home. Patients automatically get information about upcoming tests, appointments and treatment recommendations and family doctors can consult with specialists on care questions.

Health Innovation Team: North York General Hospital, Verto Inc., North York Family Health Team

Grant amount: $500,000

9) A New Platform to Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients Get Coordinated Treatment at Home

Rather than returning to the hospital when they need assistance, which can be inconvenient for patients, they will have access to healthcare providers and community services through a web and mobile video-based platform.

A communication and documentation tool to ensure the accuracy of medications when vulnerable patients transition from hospital to long-term care. The system promotes efficient collaboration among pharmacist, physician and nurse to prevent medication errors.

The app offers in-home video conferencing to improve the client experience. Using the app, patients can make or receive calls to their caregivers, signal emergencies, view their appointments and check on their medications. Benefits include increased flexibility and capacity of care coordinators to address client needs with diverse care teams.

12) Improving Mental Health by Connecting Police and Community Services

Software to facilitate assessment, risk appraisal and case management of individuals with serious mental disorders. It will provide patients with access to existing community services, police officers, primary care givers and community support workers to prevent inappropriate hospitalization and deliver the right care for an individual in crisis.

This software will support education, collaboration, engagement, intervention and goal-focused coaching for young adults with mental health challenges. The technology will be accessible via an app or desktop computer.

Falls are responsible for 85 per cent of seniors’ injury-related hospitalizations. An expanded screening and focused identification strategy will be examined for the potential to reduce the incidence of falls and the associated ER visits, hospitalizations and costs to the system. Proactively identifying seniors at risk of falls across a community provides evidence to support intervention planning and targeted falls prevention programs.

This innovative software measures a patient’s vital signs including blood pressure and oxygen saturation and automatically notifies a healthcare provider when readings change. The kit includes a custom Android tablet computer with a secure two-way video connection between patient and clinician. The equipment provides patients with remote access to rehab programs to better self-manage their condition at home.

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